A Week Off in Dürres

Pancakes, Punctures, and a Reunion in Tiranë

I arrived early doors in Durrës and, after unsuccessfully trying to find a bike shop to sort out some repairs, I headed straight to the beach. There, I had pancakes and a cappuccino for breakfast — a good way to start the day.

I was able to check into the Airbnb we'd booked at 11:00, so I did that, sorted out some puncture repairs, and made sure my smelly shoes were left airing out on the balcony before Demi arrived. Then I wandered back out and treated myself to two really nice beers.

Later in the day, I made my way to the airport — though not before a chaotic attempt at catching an Albanian bus. I gave up and grabbed a taxi with a driver named Maxim instead. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long before the love of my life came walking through the arrival gates at Tirana Airport.

Demi ran and jumped at me — it was so, so good to see each other again. Lots of embracing, laughing, and even a few tears, much to the enjoyment of some people nearby in a beer garden who looked on with warm smiles. A lovely reminder of how lucky we are.

We jumped back in the car with Maxim and chatted away on the drive back. We went straight to the beach to catch the beautiful sunset, shared some delicious food and wine, and started the week off just right.

Beach Days and Adriatic Dips

That first evening really set the tone for the rest of the week — feet up, relaxing on the beach. It was exactly what the legs needed. We were staying in a little apartment just set back from the beach, so it was only a short stroll before we could flop down on the sand. Regular dips in the Adriatic kept us cool — the water only reaches about waist-deep even far out, so it stayed lovely and warm.

Evenings were slow and peaceful. There were plenty of restaurants nearby, all with similar menus. Pizza and Caprese salad with wine became our go-to. No complaints.

Dalmatian Pelicans, Ancient Ruins, and Sunset Views

Midway through the week, we rented a car and headed out to Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, home to a large population of Dalmatian pelicans and plenty of tortoises wandering about. From there, we drove to a viewpoint overlooking the lake, which reminded us both of the setting in Where the Crawdads Sing — a fantastic book, by the way, if you're after a recommendation.

We continued on to Apollonia, an ancient Greek settlement. Entry was half price because the guy had two spare tickets and it was late in the day. We finished the drive with an amazing sunset — the sun dropped clean below the Adriatic horizon. Absolutely stunning.

The Last Evening Ride

After a couple more beach days, we wrapped things up with one final adventure: me on the bike, Demi straddling the panniers, heading just north of Durrës town for one last nice meal and another beautiful sunset. A perfect way to finish.

Goodbyes and Back to the Road

We packed up in the morning, had a chilled breakfast, and met Maxim again for the drive back to Tirana Airport. The goodbye was emotional, but we’d had such an amazing week together — and it’s not long until we’re reunited in Georgia.

Still, it was hard getting back on the bike after a week of feet-up luxury.

I packed the last of my gear and pedalled around the corner to the same café where I’d first arrived in Durrës. One last cappuccino before hitting the road.

Back on the Bike — and a Bit of Bad Luck

The riding was easy, following the same route Demi and I had taken in the car a few days earlier. I was headed toward Divjakë-Karavasta National Park again — a decent distance given it was already past noon when I set off.

Everything was going smoothly until I got a flat on the rear tyre. I wasn’t totally surprised — I’d fitted a slightly too-thin tube in Bari because I hadn’t had any other option at the time. Normally that would have been fine… but I realised I’d made a rookie error: I’d strapped my pump on the outside of the bike, not my usual spot, and somewhere along the way it had fallen off without me noticing.

I started walking the bike and eventually chatted with one of the many roadside watermelon sellers. He said we could flag down a bus and head to Divjakë, where I might find help. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a bus driver stopped and chatted with a few local guys outside their sheds, asking if they could help. Eventually, he found a garage willing to lend a hand and dropped me off.

After a little bit of language confusion, I managed to fix the problem myself and used their air compressor to pump up the tyre. I was back on the road — but still without a pump — so I knew I’d have to find a decent-sized city soon to replace it.

I rode out of Divjakë and eventually set up camp just 200 metres from the very spot Demi and I had sat together, sharing wine and watching the sun drop over the Divjakë-Karavasta Lagoon. The camp spot turned out to be lovely, tucked away and peaceful. But there was a lot of standing water nearby, so I knew the mosquitoes would be coming.

Sure enough, around 8:20 PM, just as the sun was going down, the swarms rose. I had already pitched my tent well and got inside just in time. The buzzing was relentless, but they stayed outside — and I didn’t leave my tent again until morning.